Chicken Jalfrezi

About this recipe

Jalfrezi is stir-fry cooking dressed up as a curry, and the key is julienning everything—chicken, vegetables, tomato—so nothing overcooks while still tasting cooked. The dish tastes bright and almost raw-edged despite being a curry, with the ginger-garlic paste providing the only deep note in otherwise sharp, clean flavours. This is weeknight cooking that tastes special, done in 30 minutes with a minimum of fuss. The hero ingredients are the bright, raw vegetables (onion, capsicum, tomato) that stay crunchy, and the ginger-garlic paste that provides the spice backbone. Kashmiri chilli powder adds colour and mild heat, while tomato ketchup and white vinegar add sweetness and sharpness respectively. Garam masala rounds out the spices. This is about balance and contrast rather than depth. The technique requires high heat and speed. Brown your julienned chicken quickly—4 minutes at most—until coloured on the outside but still raw in the middle (it will cook further). Remove it. Add onions and ginger-garlic, stir-fry for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add your capsicums and green chillies, keep the heat high for 2 minutes—they must stay crunchy. Add tomatoes, chilli powder, salt, and a splash of water; cook for 3 minutes until shiny. Return the chicken with ketchup and vinegar, toss for 2 minutes until everything is coated and the chicken is cooked through. Finish with garam masala. A proper jalfrezi is shiny, with vegetables that snap when you bite them. Serve with roti or rice. This is excellent for lunch boxes—it's good hot, room temperature, or cold. Store in the fridge for two days.